BRITISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITONS
1. Why is it important to learn and
remember the customs, traditions and holidays of a country? It is important to remember the holidays of your
country, because they help the older generation to pass the national values onto
their children. Young people can figure out who they are in this world.
Holidays and traditions give them a sense of belonging and a sense of security:
they realize that they are a part of nation, which will always support them and
give advice in a difficult situation, so they will never feel lonely. Holidays
also unite people. They give people enjoyable memories and are fun.
When we learn the traditions of the
country we travel to, we find out a lot about the nation: they represent the
spirit of the nation, their beliefs and values, their national character,
customs and good manners. If you don’t know a tradition, you might feel lost or
make some mistakes. Sometimes you might even seem disrespectful.
2. Do you know anything about British national
holidays?
England is a country that knows how to celebrate well. England has
many annual celebrations and traditions. Official holidays are called
bank holidays, because banks do not work on these days. there are a lot of religious
holidays in the country (Christmas, Easter, Good Friday), state holidays
connected to the Royal Family (Queen’s Official Birthday, Royal weddings),
historical holidays (Guy Fawkes Night, May Day) and other holidays such as New
Year and Remembrance Day.
New Year is celebrated on the 31st of December In England,
the largest celebrations take place in London, with fireworks exploding over
the London Eye at midnight. Big Ben chimes and people sing Auld Lang
Syne. Most of the crowds in London are gathered at Piccadilly Circus or
Trafalgar Square. But the largest celebrations take place in Scotland, where
New Year is the most popular holiday.
Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day: It takes place a week
before Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of Lent. Pancakes in England are
eaten with lemon and sugar or golden syrup. Pancake races are still popular in
many villages and towns.
Good Friday, remembering Jesus’ death on the cross, is also a bank
holiday.
In the Christian calendar, Easter is the most holy day of the year as it
celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
May Day often includes dancing around a Maypole, eating cake and meeting
spring. People also choose their May Queen.
Queen’s Official Birthday is celebrated in June. Very often British
monarchs had birthdays in winter or autumn. Celebrations were impossible,
that’s why an official date was chosen. On this day there are parades,
concerts, parties and official ceremonies.
Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night takes place on the 5th of November.
It celebrates the fact that the King and the Parliament were saved in 1605. Guy
Fawkes and his friends wanted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to stop the
cruel policy against Catholics. But they were caught. The doll of Guy Fawkes is
burnt on this night. Also people watch fireworks, make huge fires and have fun.
Remembrance Day helps the British remember the victims and soldiers of
World War I and World War II. On this day people often wear poppies.
3. Can you describe the favourite British holiday – Christmas?
Christmas is the most famous and popular holiday of the
year. Christmas season in England is absolutely lovely! It
begins quite early, in November. Christmas trees can be found in many city
centres, with the most famous being the Norwegian tree in Trafalgar Square,
London.
On Christmas Day, a special Christmas dinner or lunch is served.
The menu is usually traditional – roast turkey; potatoes and other vegetables
such as carrots and parsnips; Yorkshire Puddings; mini sausages wrapped in
bacon; and Brussels Sprouts.
Before the food is served, the breaking of the Christmas Crackers is the
usual tradition.
Later in the day, the Queen’s Christmas message is broadcast on
television and radio.
Boxing Day on the 26th of December is an additional bank holiday. People
usually spend time with families and holiday guests. Typical activities
include eating Christmas leftovers, going for walks, playing games and watching
sports. The name comes from the fact that in the past in cities there
were special boxes, where people could leave Christmas presents for the poor.
4. What is the most popular topic of conversation in Britain and why?
The British love talking about the weather. They always complain about rainy days and are surprised when there is no rain and the weather is fine. The
British even say that they have no climate, only weather. This happens because
the weather in Britain is very changeable: in the morning it can rain, in the
afternoon it is cold and foggy, but in the evening it is warm and sunny.
The weather is so unpredictable, because the British Isles are on the
way of battling air masses: hot air comes from Africa, cold weather comes from
Russia. The Gulfstream, a warm current in the Atlantic Ocean brings warm and
rainy weather. That's why the climate is mild. But many parts of the UK get up to 221 rainy days a year. A typical
Englishman always has an umbrella.
No wonder the British have many weather idioms. They say “it’s raining
cats and dogs” when they have a heavy rainfall. When something is really easy they
say “it’s a breeze”. When they feel ill, they say “I feel under the weather”.
5. What questions will you ask a British teenager about their holiday
traditions?
